Rocking-chair.



nu. 716,879. Patented umso, i902. P. mzsmmons.

Rockin@ CHAIR.

Application filed June 28, 1899. Renewed. Aug. 15, 1901 (No Made!)l UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

PHILIP FITZSIMMONS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

,nocKiNe-cl-ialn.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,879, dated December 30, 1902.

Application led Inno 28, 1899. Renewed August 151901. Serial No. 72,189. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILI? FirzsIMMoNs, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rocking Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in rocking-chairs; and its object is to produce a chair having lrockers provided with elastic or yielding cushions adapted to giveor yield sufficiently when the chair is rocked on an uneven floor to overcome the jolting and squeaking which would otherwise be caused, and also adapted to afford a soft` bearing-surface by which the chair rests upon the floor, so that damage to the carpet or to a hard-wood or painted floor is prevented when the chair is rocked or pulled across the floor.

My invention consists in certain novelf'eatures of' the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved rockin g-chair cushion or guard whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate my invention, Figure l is a perspective view showing a rocking-chair, having its rockers provided with cushions or guards constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing the under side of a fragment of one of the rockers provided with a cushion or guard embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken transversely through the rocker as shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken transversely through the cushion or guard detached and showing a modied form of the same. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken transversely through the rocker and showing a modified form of the means for holding the cushion or guard against lateral movement on the rocker. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified form of the cushion or guard. Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar te Fig. 3, but illustrating the form of cushionrshown in Fig. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figs. 3 and 7, but illustrating still another form of the improved cushion or guard. Fig. 9 is au enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the means for securing the cushion or guard at the end of the rocker.

In the drawings, l indicates the chair, and

V2 2 the rockers thereof.

3 indicates as a Whole the improved guard or cushion, constructed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, with a flat strip-like body portion Ll, adapted to be cemented along the under side of the rocker 2 and having a central projecting tread portion 5 of semicircular crosssection and adapted to extend centrally along the under side of the rocker 2When the cushion or guard is securedin place. The guard `or cushion will be constructed, preferably, of rubber'and canvas, and the tread portion 5 should have greater elasticity than the body portion 4C is required to have, so as to yield sufficiently to overcome unevenness in the ioor or surface on which the chair rests.

The hack surface of the cushion or guard 3 is constructed with a projecting rib 6, of soft rubber, extending lengthwise along the central part of the guard or cushion and adapted to be engaged with a groove or channel 7, cut lengthwise in the under side of the rocker 2, at the central part thereof, and formed with dovetail or undercut side walls, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, so that the projection or-rih 6 of the guard or cushion will be caused to spread laterally when inserted in said channel to engage the dovetail walls of the channels and act to hold the cushion against lateral movement on therocler and also in a measure against removal therefrom. The lateral portion or wings of the body 4 of the guard or cushion which project along the sides of the tread portion 5 are preferably cemented to the under side of the rocker 2, and in order to hold the guard orv cushion still more securely against detachment from the rocker a series of tacks 9 are driven through said wings into the under side of the rocker,`as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modied form of the improved guard or cushion, wherein the back face of the device is formed with a projecting longitudinal central rib 10 of semicircular cross-section, adapted to enter a suitably-formed channel in the under side of the rocker 2.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the rocker 2 provided with a groove or channel 11 of V-shaped cross-section to receive the central longitudinal projection on the back of the guard or cushion 3.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a modified form adapted especially for chairs already in use. In this form of the device the grooveand-rib construction of the rocker and cushion is omitted, and in lieu thereof a strip 12, of metal or other suitable material, having projecting points 14 upon its face to engage the body' portion 4 of the guard or cushion, is secured along the central part of the under side of the rocker 2 by means of tacks 13 or the like. When the strip 12 is made of metal, the points 14 may be formed by pressing or stamping outward integral portions of the strip, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. In this form of the device the strip 12 is first applied to the rocker with its points 14 outward, after which the body portion 4 of the cushion is cemented to the rocker over said strip 12, being pressed closely upon the strip to cause the points 14 to pierce into thev guard or cushion, so as to hold the same securely against lateral movement on the rocker. Tacks 9 are also employed to hold the wings of the body portion securely to the rocker at the sides of the strip 12.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a form of the device wherein the rocker 2 is formed with a V- shaped groove 11, adapted to hold against lateral movement the cushion 3, which is formed from a piece of rubber tubing or hose 15, through which extends a core 16, which may be made of a stout cord or rope. The tubing or hose 15 will by preference be made to loosely receivethe core 16, so that when the cushion is applied to the rocker 2 the slack portion of the tubing may be drawn into the groove 11, as clearly shown at 17, to assist in holding the cushion to the rocker.

In Fig. 9 I have shown in detail a means for holding the end of the cushion or guard 3 to the end of the rocker. By preference the end of the cushion or guard is extended up over the end surface of the rocker 2, as shown at 18, and is secured to said end surface by means of a suitable clip 19, applied over it and secured to the rocker by means of tacks 2O or the like. The extended portion 18 of the cushion or guard at the end of the rocker serves to form a buer to prevent damage or injury to the other furniture or to persons when struck by the point of the rocker.

My improved guard or cushion constructed as above described is extremely simple and inexpensive and is especially well adapted for use, since it renders the chair to which it is applied much more comfortable for use, especially where the iioor is at all irregular or uneven, and also prevents creaking of the chair or loosening of the glued joints resulting fronrthe continuous jarring or jolting. Further, the cushion or guard materially lessens the wear of the carpet over which the chair is drawn or on which it is rocked and prevents damage to hard-wood or painted floors. The improved cushion also acts to prevent the creeping of the chair across the floor when in use.

It will also be obvious from the above description that myimproved guard or cushion is capable of considerable modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the parts herein set forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a rocking-chair the combination of a rocker, a yielding guard or cushion extending lengthwise along the under side thereof, means to hold said guard against lateral displacement, elastic buffers formed integral with the yielding guard at each end thereof and having cushioned outer surfaces, taking over the ends of the rocker, and means to retain said buers in place, substantiallyas set forth and for the purposes specified.

2. In a rocking-chair, the combination of a rocker, a guard or cushion extending lengthwise along the under side thereof and a metal strip interposed between said rocker and guard, said strip being securely fastened to the rocker and having downwardly-projecting points adapted to take into the guards or cushions to hold the same against lateral movement, substantially as set forth.

PHILIP FITZSIMMONS.

Witnesses:

A. C. STRAEHLEY, JAMES N. RAMsEY.

IOO 

